Comfort Food Is: This Crispy, Sticky Rice With Yogurt

When I was a wee bitty child and suffering from a tummy ache or a cold, my mom gave me the same remedy each time: Persian sticky rice with salty yogurt. This style of rice is called kateh and hails from the the Gilan province in the north of Iran. Unlike the painstaking process of the signature Persian rice known as chelow (which is rinsed, soaked, drained, par-boiled, rinsed again, then steamed, resulting in an extremely fluffy rice), kateh is simply boiled in water with salt and oil until the rice absorbs the liquid. This results in rice that is less fussy and a little sticky but still has that appealing fragrance—all in about half the time it takes to make chelow.

To make kateh, I start off with 2 cups of good basmati rice or long-grain rice. What does “good” long-grain rice look like? It has a yellowish-brown color (that’s how you know it’s been aged well) and long, slightly chubby grains. Go with Tilda or Royal brands, which are both easy to find in Indian or Middle Eastern markets. Place the rice in a medium saucepan (preferably nonstick if you want the crispy crust, a.k.a., tahdig), and cover with lukewarm water. Using your hand, swish and agitate the rice until the water becomes cloudy. Drain and repeat until the water becomes clear (about 3 to 4 washes). (I know you’re thinking, “Uh...I thought this was supposed to be the easy method.” It is! But rinsing is still essential to reduce the starch levels of the rice and yield a cleaner taste). Cover the rice with 2½ cups cold water, add 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil and 1¾ tsp. kosher salt, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, uncovered, until some of the water has been absorbed and the liquid sinks just below the rice. Cover the pot and cook over low heat until the rice is tender, about 30–35 minutes.

Now, once the rice is cooked, there are two ways to serve it. Either I spoon the rice out onto a platter, or—my preferred method—I invert the rice onto a plate, as if it were a cake. You should end up with something that looks like a crusty-edged rice pie. From here, I cut it into wedges, add a tiny knob of softened butter, then a dollop of salted yogurt. (I just thin out whole-milk Greek yogurt with a bit of water and season it with a good pinch of salt and a bit of cracked pepper).

Of course, if you want to add a few other elements to make the rice more substantial, you can do that. You might try folding mixed, chopped tender herbs (such as dill, cilantro, mint, and/or parsley) into the rice or serving the rice with a fried egg, a lot of kimchi, and an avocado.

That said, I rarely add all that stuff. After all, the great thing about this dish is that it’s so damn simple, yet so satisfying. And while mama Baraghani might have reserved kateh as a sick-day remedy (it’s too casual for her to serve to guests), I love this dish so much, I’ll share it with anyone.